How the UK recycles millions of dirty old disposable coffee cups

Governments control the skies

This article was taken from the March 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.

Democracy Monument in Central Bangkok

Pinit Asavanuchit

Advertisement

Activists are no longer content with reclaiming the streets -- they're taking to the skies via small, remotely operated aircraft. "There are many consumer drones being released, and they are getting better, cheaper and easier to operate," says Pinit Asavanuchit, who built a drone and used it to film the anti-government uprising in Bangkok in 2013-2014. "Thai police and media report these events with bias -- especially the number of protestors and how they're protesting," he says "I wanted to see it from a bird's-eye view to better understand what's really happening."

By filming from several hundred metres above, Asavanuchit was able to use his drone not only to gather an overview of the scale of the protest, but also to zoom in on violent clashes between police and demonstrators without risking his own safety.

Videographer Nero Chan had a similar idea during the pro-democracy protests in October and November 2014 in Hong Kong.

Manoeuvring a DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter between the city's skyscrapers, he captured images of thousands of people covering the streets below. "I was surprised that my video received over a million views," he says. "I think it was popular because drone footage is a very new thing. Not many news outlets are using it yet." In future, he suggests, activists could use drones for more than just documentation: for example, flying banners or transporting supplies.

As affordable and high-quality remotely operated aircraft increasingly make their way into the hands of everyday citizens, so authorities around the world are scrambling to create legislation regarding their use. Asavanuchit, who also employs his drone for building-site surveys and plans to adapt it to assist sea-rescue missions, hopes the potential of the flying machines to save lives and help businesses won't be crushed by regulation. "If we let people drive cars, then we should allow them to use drones."

This article was first published in the March 2015 issue of WIRED magazine